Rudder mechanism for flying machines



l B9 '91 J. E.. FOWLER 5 i935 2 Shests-Eke 2 fNVEm'oR aw Zar ATTORNEKS.

J. E. F

June 22 1926.

RUDDER MECHANISM FOR FLYING IMG-MISES Original Filed Feb. 16 I PatentedJune 22, 1926.

narrar erstes.

JOHN` ELLES FOVLER, MOBLE, ALABAMA.`

RUBBER MECHANlIEIE/I FOR FLYlNG MACHINES.

Original application filed. February 19. 1925., Serial. No. 9,693.Divided. and this application led. July 7,

Serial No. 42,066.

The present invention relates to improve ments in rudder mechanism forflying machines and the present application is a division of myco-pending application filed Feb; rua-ry 16, 1925, Ser. No. 9,693, andentitled Flying machine.

The invention has for an object to provide an improved rudderconstruction for exposing a wide area to the air for more positive andresponsive action.

The invention further provides novel mechanism for actuating the rudderin which the action is positive and reliable.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will bedescribed in detail hereinafter, and referred to more par* ticularly inthe sub-joined claims.

The invention will be described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which like parts are referred to by the same referencecharacters, and in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts brokenaway, showing a flying machine with the improved rudder mechanism;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 2 2 in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a subsequent position of horizontaladjustment of the rudder; y

Fig. 4c is a similar view with the rudder tilted vertically;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 5--5 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section takenV longitudinally through themedian portion of the cabin and showing the wing controlling mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 77 in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on the line 8-8 also in Fig. 6. v

Referring moreparticularly to the drawings, 16 designates the body orcabin of the improved dying machine. which 4is preferably pointed foreand aft in order to meet and take advantage of wind resistance. The

cabin may be constructed ofany appropriate materials, and may beembodied in any desired shape and size to meet various conditions in thehandling of passengers, freight and the like. J ust forwardly of thecenter of the cabin is the control compartment 17, in which are situatedthe left and right han'd wheels 18 and 19 for controlling the verticaland horizontal adjustment of the rudder` at the rear; and the large. andsmall levers 20 and 21 for controlling the various angular positionsofthe two wings which extend out from the median portion of the cabin. y

The rudder itself is made up of a box-like structure comprising theupper vand lower plates 69 and 70, and the side connecting plates 71 and72.

The side plates are preferably of less height than the width of the topand bottom plates, and the plates'y combineto enclose a substantiallyrectangular space for the passage of the air. This space or cell ispreferably subdivided by intersecting plane surfaces 73 kand 74, whichjoin with the bottom wall and side walls at respectively the outer andlower edges thereof, and which meet at their upper ends and' are joinedto the middle'portion of the'top wall 69. `,This structure providessubstantially three spaces, triangular in cross section, for the passageof the air currents, and it reinforces the rudder both longitudinallyand transversely. The rudder so formed is swivelly mounted for fpivotalmovement in both vertical and horizontal planes. The movement of theyrudder is a universal movement, and for this purpose a beam 75 issecured to the under. side of' the bottom portion of the rudder runninglongitudinally thereof, and having forwardly of its central part, apivot 76 extending therethrough and through the block 77 carried in thehorizontal pivots 78 supported upon the brackets 79 from the tail pieceof the machine. The pivots 78 lie at substantially right angles to thepivot 76 so that a universal movement is permitted the rudder.

From the forward end of the rudder or from the beam 75 extends anoperating arm 80 which enters the rear or tail portion of the machine,and has a forwardly extending end 81 lying through the central portionsof the two horizontal and vertically slidable links 82 and 83. Thevertical link 82 has eyes 84: at its upper and lower ends for sliding onthe upper and lower bars 85 and 86. In a similar manner eyes 87 areprovided upon the ends of the horizontal link 83 for sliding movement onthe guide bars 88 and 89, which extend in a vertical direction. Themechanism is housed in the tail portion of the cabin, and a slot 9() isprovided in the top portion of the tail piece to permit of the freemovement of the arm 80 The movement of the links is controlled by thehand wheels 18 and 19 in the control compartment, and for this purpose,these hand wheels are mounted upon the drums 91 and 92 journaled inappropriate parts of the frame work of the machine. In Fig. 6 is shownhow cables are wound on these drums. As respects the drum 91, fourcables 93, 93a, 94 and 94a are wound on the fore and rear portions ofthe drum, and these cables are carried over appropriate pulleys to thetail portion of the cabin, and are connected from opposite directions tothe horizontal link 83. The cables 93 and 94 are shown in Fig. 2 totrain over pulleys so as to connect with the top portion of thehorizontal link and to have the effect to lift this link when the drumin the control section is turned in one direction. In this same Fig. 2,the other cables 93a and 94"L are shown to be passed over pulleys andconnect with the lower side of the horizontal link 83 whereby onrotation of the drum in the direction just referred to, the cable willbe payed out to admit of the vertical adjustment of said link 83. Onreverse rotation of said drum 91, the link will be shifted in anopposite direction, and the cables 93 and 94 payed out on the drum, andthe cables 93a and 94a wound on the drum whereby to pull the horizontallink downwardly. Movement of this link up and down will, through the arm80, cause similar shifting of the rudder in a vertical plane.

The other drum 92 is provided with cables 95, 95, 96 and 96a, which aretrained over pulleys and carried to the rear of the cabin where suchcables come from opposite sides and are connected to the vertical link82. These cables are wound in opposite directions upon the drum 92, andwhen such drum is rotated in one direction by its hand wheel 19, two ofsuch cables will be wound on the drum exerting a pull to one side on thevertical link 82 while the other cables are payed out permitting of thismovement. The movement of the vertical link will cause horizontalturning movement in the rudder, and through the medium of the two drumsand arrangement of: eight cables, the rudder may be caused to assume anyposition of vertical or horizontal angular adjustment. The steering ofthe flying machine may be thus expeditiously effected, and the length ofthe rudder and its cellular character makes the devi-ce very Sensitive.

It is obvious that various changes and modilications may be made in thedetails of construction and design of the above specifically describedembodiment of this invention without departing trom the spirit thereof,such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of thefollowing claim:-

IVhat is claimed is:

A flying machine comprising a cabin, a rudder mounted for universalmovement on the cabin, a lever projecting from said rudder, ahorizontally extending link slidable vertically, a. vertical linksliding' horizontally, said links having longitudinal slots therein,said slots intersect-ing one another at substantially right angles andboth said slots engaged with said lever, the walls of the slots adaptedto shift said lever and the slots adapted to permit the shiftingmovement ot the lever, and means in the cabin coupled to said links forselectively adjusting the same both horizontally and vertically.

JOHN ELLIS FOVVLER.

